


The Things That Bite In The Darkness

by ekosma



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blood Drinking, Bottom Severus Snape, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Good Severus Snape, Happy Ending, Light Nipple Play, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Neck Kissing, Remus Lupin Is A Consent King, Remus Lupin is a Good Boyfriend, Rough Kissing, Severus Is A Needy Bottom, Top Remus Lupin, Vampire Bites, Vampire Severus Snape, Werewolf Remus Lupin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:35:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28518753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ekosma/pseuds/ekosma
Summary: “Severus,” Remus finally said after a long while, his face completely unreadable now. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, and do feel free to correct me, but was that a rat between your teeth not a half moment ago?”Opening his mouth, Severus drew in a breath to explain himself, but he fell utterly short. How. . .how the hell was he supposed to explain a reason to Remus for what he had just witnessed? And how was he supposed to explain the fangs protruding from his lips?
Relationships: Remus Lupin/Severus Snape
Comments: 21
Kudos: 249





	The Things That Bite In The Darkness

If there was one thing Severus could consistently count on, it was the incredible meals that the house-elves served at Hogwarts. They were what he missed most about the school year, and he was rather tired of spending his summer living off what little groceries he had at Spinner's End. If he had to eat another can of spam, or bowl of ramen, or brew a cup of instant coffee he would surely lose his mind. He was 33 years old and still couldn’t feed himself proper food.

This was the first meal back, the feast to welcome new students to Hogwarts, and Severus tried to conceal his excitement when the food popped in front of him. Of course, the elves did cater to everyone's particular taste to make sure no one left the tables hungry, but Severus was always amazed at what they cooked up. Though he never really did have much of an appetite, he found he got full rather too quickly, Severus always made sure to eat at least a portion of what food was in front of him.

The garlic bread, however, Severus made sure to carefully avoid the platter to his left altogether. He was not pleased in the least when that had popped up in his general space. The odour was repugnant, always leaving a foul smell and taste in someone's mouth after consuming just the barest amount.

Usually, anything made with garlic never appeared near him during meal times unless the person seated near him was a fan of it. That made Severus’ irritation with Remus, who had sat himself down right next to him as if they had been friends for years, flare up even more than it already was.

Remus looked happy when he saw the plate, immediately serving himself three large slices before holding the platter out to offer Severus with a friendly smile. When the scent caught his nose, Severus was physically repelled by it, scrunching his nose up and focusing his attention on his own appetizing plate of pesto gnocchi with a fresh helping of garden salad. 

“Not a fan of garlic bread, Severus?” Remus asked pleasantly, unbothered by Severus’ sneer, and set the plate back down before crunching into one of the slices. “Or are you just not feeling it tonight?”

Annoyed by Remus’ attempts at pleasantries, Severus chose to ignore him, angrily shoving a forkful of the pasta into his mouth so harshly the prongs scraped the sides of his cheeks and the taste of copper burst in his mouth. 

When it was clear he wouldn’t get a response from him, Remus’ smile faltered, and he focused his attention on his own meal in front of him, looking not unlike a kicked puppy as he slowly scooped some fresh roasted potatoes on his plate.

Rolling his eyes, Severus sighed heavily through his large nose and scowled at no one in particular, his already bad mood turning sour with Remus sitting so near to him. He was so tempted to stab one of the silver brushed knives in his chest, but then it would really be quite inconvenient if he went to Azkaban at this point of his already too long life.

Severus was not looking forward to working with him. He had thought he would be fortunate enough to not look at any of his childhood bullies since graduating Hogwarts and was so sure he would never again be in the same room as any one of them, but here he was, sharing a meal with the damned idiot who nearly killed him.

Yet, Remus had been nothing but nice to him since arriving. Which confused Severus endlessly and kept him up at night tearing his hair out in frustration trying to figure out what the werewolf’s end game was, but he could draw up no plausible conclusions.

The only other explanation Severus could think of was that Remus was truly trying to bury the hatchet and smooth things over with him. That thought alone unsettled him so much he could feel the fork in his hand slowly start to bend.

Swallowing thickly, Severus set down his fork a little more harshly than he meant to, teeth grinding and fingers tapping restlessly against his knees. Severus found himself glancing in Remus' direction more than he normally did, guilt slowly eating away at his chest. If Remus was trying to be nice, should he act like an adult and at least be civil towards Remus?

“How. . .” Severus turned towards Remus and clenched his teeth. “How was your first-day teaching?” He could feel one of his eyelids twitching with effort. Was he really so terrible at small talk?

Surprise flickered across his face, and Remus paused mid-bite. Suddenly, as if he were struck by lightning, he chewed and swallowed quickly, clearing his throat and set his garlic bread back down on his plate. 

“It was good.” Remus wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Really good, the students seem to be excited about learning, which is always a good thing when trying to teach them. Especially for the young ones.”

Severus nodded, not really knowing what to say. Finally, he choked out some unintelligible response and went back to his food, but found he had lost all appetite to eat.

“How was your day, Severus?” 

“Fine,” Severus said a little quickly, reaching for his goblet of red pinot, suddenly feeling parched and very thirsty all of a sudden. Was this what being a responsible adult felt like? It was horrible and he hated it, Severus wished he had just kept silent.

Remus smiled. “That’s good.” He said, looking quite happy as he scooped some salad into his mouth. He did not try to speak to Severus again through dinner, probably sensing the Slytherin had enough socializing, which was absolutely correct.

Draining his goblet, Severus stood up and smoothed down his robes before making his exit out of the dining hall, fuming with an irritation he couldn’t quite pinpoint. 

. . .

Severus brooded over his simmering cauldron. His long hair tied up in a half-hearted bun that was already starting to fall out. Classes were over for the day, and instead of working on students' essays that were in dire need to be marked, he was still in his laboratory, working on the wolfsbane potion so Remus didn’t lose his mind next week during the full moon. 

It was nearly done, hours of work preparing the ingredients, making sure the ratios were just right so he didn’t accidentally kill Remus. Though that would be a very effective way of getting rid of him permanently, unfortunately, Severus wasn’t that vindictive. 

The good thing about this was that he got to listen to his walkman while brewing, which was something he couldn’t do if he had a class in here with him.

He quietly sang along with Bruce Springsteen that played through the headphones, mouth quirking up at the corners feeling slightly foolish with himself. But this was his mother’s favourite artist, she would sing along with the radio every time she made dinner, it always made him miss her just a little more whenever he played it. 

Carefully pouring the finished wolfsbane potion into the vials that spread out across his desk, Severus corked them tightly so nothing had the chance to spill out. He packed them away carefully in a straw-packed box, before pouring the rest of the potion directly into a goblet. He watched as it shimmered and smoked faintly as he carried it out his laboratory, balancing the box on his hip as he walked towards Remus’ office.

They had not talked since the first night he came at the sorting ceremony besides offering each other polite greetings or nods as they passed one another in the hall. Severus had not been anxious for another conversation with the werewolf, but he had certain duties as a potions master and as a professor, he couldn’t shy away from. Which included brewing a concoction that kept the werewolf while he turned into a bloodthirsty beast to protect the lives of the students on the school grounds as well as the faculty and staff. 

Severus had never been to Remus’ office before and had to rely on the direction of the portraits and an overly joyful Professor Flitwick. When he got to the room, the door was shut. He knocked on it with the toe of his boot as his hands were full.

“Come in,” Called Lupin’s muffled voice from the other side of the door. 

Severus inwardly sighed. He had rather hoped there would be no answer so he could just leave it on his desk with a note. After some careful maneuvering, Severus opened the door and walked in. At first, panic shot through him and he stopped in his tracks. Swallowing thickly, he nearly dropped the goblet and reached for his wand as his mind was suddenly thrust back in time. For an awful split second he thought he saw James talking to Remus and quickly scanned the room to see if Sirius was skulking around.

Finally, common sense kicked in, and he silently blew out a deep breath. Harry turned around and his hauntingly familiar green eyes glowered at him from the chair he was sitting on. Severus was wondering why wasn’t the spawn in Hogsmeade with all the rest of the snot-faced children when Remus’ voice snapped him back into reality. 

“Ah, Severus,” Lupin said smiling at him. “Thanks very much. Could you just leave it here on the desk for me?”

Severus walked forward, mouth turning into a grimace as he set the smoking goblet down before putting the box down on the floor by the side of the desk, his eyes flickering between Harry and Remus, unable to push away his rising anxiety. 

He had never expected to react like this, but he really should've guessed he would react negatively to seeing the two together. The boy did look so much like his late father, it was so incredibly unnerving, he had to keep reminding himself that Harry wasn’t going to pull out a wand and hex him.

“I was just showing Harry my grindylow,” Remus said with a friendly expression on his face, pointing towards the tank.

Severus was not about to turn his back on the two. “Fascinating,” He said dryly. “You should drink that directly, Lupin.” He nodded to the still smoking goblet. 

“Yes, yes I will,” Remus assured him, reaching out to grasp the potion. 

Severus swallowed again. “I made an extra cauldron full if you need more.”

“I should take some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus.”

“Not at all,” Severus said quietly. His chest was tight as he stared at the two, backing out of the room.

Finally, when he was out of the office, Severus let out a long shaking breath. He could feel the sweat drip down his back. He closed his eyes and leaned against the wall for support, feeling his entire body tremble uncontrollably. 

Harry was not the same person as James. He had to keep reminding himself of that.

. . .

A week later, Severus was sitting on one of the couches in the teacher’s lounge reading one of his favourite muggle novels. There was a cup of cold forgotten tea beside him, and a half-eaten sandwich on a plate in front of him on the coffee table. It was Sunday, his favourite day of the week because it was the only day he set aside for himself to spend all day doing absolutely nothing.

He would much rather be in the privacy of his quarters, but he had forced himself to at least sit in a semi-populated area so Minevera would stop bugging him about socializing with others for at least a couple of days. 

About an hour later of mindless reading a familiar face entered the lounge and sat across the coffee table in front of Severus. 

“Hello, Severus.” Remus greeted him before pulling out a stack of parchment and some ink and a quill and set them down on the table.

Severus didn’t respond. 

Remus didn’t say anything more for a long while, simply working his way through the essays. The sound of a quill scraping against parchment was slowly starting to irk Severus, but before he could say something to Remus, the werewolf spoke first.

“I noticed you looked rather uncomfortable last week when you came into my office,” Remus said, not looking up from his stack of papers. “And I was wondering if I said or did anything wrong that might have caused you to feel distressed. If I did, I am terribly sorry. I want us to have a good working relationship with one another, I know it is more than I probably deserve, but it is rather important to me. I would like to attempt to reconcile whatever is between us, even if it takes years.” 

Shifting slightly, Severus licked his index finger and turned the page, still pretending to read his book. When he glanced at Remus again, he saw the werewolf’s eyes were now on him. They were expectant and obviously waiting for an answer from him. 

“Why?” Severus finally asked.

Remus’ brows scrunched together in confusion. “Why, what?”

Sighing harshly through his nose, Severus closed his book with a snap before straightening in his seat. “Why do you care? After all this time, why suddenly now?”

“I always felt terrible about how we treated you as children, Severus.” Remus’ gaze was unwavering and honest. “I want to make amends.” 

Rolling his eyes, Severus shook his head. “Yes, I understand that, but why?” He asked again. “I still don’t understand what your motive is.”

“My motive. . .” Remus echoed, an incredulous expression on his face. “Severus, I just told you what it was!”

“Don’t patronize me!” Severus hissed, trying to keep his voice as quiet as possible. “There’s something else going on. There has to be, I know it. It’s never just one thing with you!”

Remus just stared at him with a slightly befuddled expression. 

“Honestly, Severus.” He huffed slightly, shaking his head. “I don’t know what else you want me to say, I told you what I want and that is to make amends.” 

Frustration boiled in Severus' stomach. “I want you to tell me the truth!” He cried standing up. “Tell me the goddamn truth, Lupin!”

“Severus I—” He broke off, getting to his feet as well and staring down at Severus in bewilderment. “I am telling you the truth.” He placed a rather large hairy hand on Severus’ shoulder. “I’m sorry you can’t see it. I’m not lying and Merlin knows I’m trying here,” he let out a short humourless laugh. “I’m trying so damn hard to heal the wound between us. I know it won’t happen overnight, but I figured I’d start with small steps.” 

Severus’ eyes narrowed as he looked up into Remus’ open and honest face. “I do not understand. Why can’t I figure you out, Lupin?”

“Because there’s nothing to figure out,” Remus said quietly. “I’m sorry if you can’t understand that.” 

With that, he stooped to pick up his papers and shove them haphazardly back into his bag. “I’ll see you later, Severus.” Remus waved to him lightly before leaving the lounge. 

As soon as he left, Severus crumpled back into his seat with a long-suffering sigh and a headache brewing behind his eyes before digging in his pockets for a cigarette. 

. . .

Severus scowled at nothing in particular as he scoured the empty shelves of the potions storeroom. They needed to be restocked. Desperately. However it was hard, he only received enough galleons from the school board and frankly most of the funding this year went to things like the defence against the dark arts and the quidditch team. 

Very few people understood the beauty of a gently simmering potion and sometimes Severus would like to hit those who did not over the head with a chair, because it was people like those that were controlling the funds and now he was running into problems like this. 

Though Professor Sprout grew a vast majority of the herbs and ingredients he used, there were still a few. . . rare items he needed to procure himself. The items he needed for his potions weren't necessarily illegal to use, they were just illegal to sell. So if he found a cluster of bloodwart mushrooms, nirn roots and imp stools he was going to collect them. 

And the forbidden forest was the best place to search for them. 

However, one simply does not walk into those cursed woods without protection against the creatures and vicious choking plant life, but luckily Severus knew some very powerful spells and hexes to ward off most of the dangerous creatures. 

He dug through the undergrowth, searching for imp stools in the cool damp shade. Once he found what he was looking for, Severus slung the bag over his shoulder. He walked further into the forest when a sudden splash caught his attention. Severus paused, wondering if there was a small pond or river nearby. If there was, that opened up the possibility for other ingredients such as fly amanita and silverside perch.

Straining his ears, he caught the sound of bubbling and followed it to a small shallow pond a few meters away, that was hidden by thick dense brush and trees. He scanned the surface of the water, wondering what made the splash when a fish suddenly popped up above the ripples to catch some mosquitoes in its mouth. 

Severus moved closer when a sparkling caught his eye. He looked down at the sandy bed before kneeling and inspecting what it was. It was a fish scale. Excitement bubbled in his chest as he held it up to the dim light of the sun that shone through the dense trees.

Recognizing the red colour as well as the vein-like webs that spread across the scale he realized this was a slaughterfish scale. Blessing his luck, he set his bag to sift through the sand for more of the rare scales. He would have to mark down this location so he could come back later if he needed more. Once he had a pile growing beside him, he moved closer to the water's edge to see if he could find any mint leaves. 

He had just started to look around when the sound of a breaking stick rang through the air. Severus paused, nervousness rising in his chest. He listened quietly for another moment or two but didn’t hear anything else so he simply shrugged it off and continued. 

Though he still felt like something was watching him from behind the trees. He took a few uneasy steps back to where his bag was, and that's when it happened.

Four large direwolves slunk from the shadows, lips curled back revealing sharp canines and yellow eyes glowing dangerously. Severus’ breath caught in his throat and he spun around and started to run through the trees, searching for one to climb.

The wolves gave chase, they snapped and howled, hot on his heels. Severus could practically feel their hot breath on his neck. They were gaining on him. He raced to the nearest tree that looked somewhat easy to climb and jump for one of the branches. He heaved himself up on the lowest one and went to grab his wand in his coat to drive the beasts off with fire but his hand grasped nothingness. 

A seeping dread made his body turn cold, and he realized his wand was in his bag back by the pond. He would have to wait for them to tire themselves out. The direwolves snapped and snarled as they jumped up at the tree, trying to get a hold of his dangling legs, and Severus tried to climb up higher, but the branch he was standing on gave way to his weight and he hit the forest floor with a pained cry. He felt one of his ankles snap on impact, and for a brief moment there was only the sensation of heat rushing to the break, then came the series of painful throbs that made his ankle feel as if it had a heartbeat. 

One of the dire wolves' heads snapped to where he was laying, and Severus froze with deep terror. In an instant, it bounded towards him snarling and on instinct, Severus raised an arm to shield his face. The long horrible teeth clamped down on his forearm, tearing the skin and he felt warm blood immediately well up from the puncture wounds. 

He snarled and tried to kick the dire wolf off with his good leg, aiming from the ribs but the dire wolf refused to let go. It was times like these he cursed himself for not taking advantage of the perks that came with being what he was. 

Out of options Severus was about to bite down on the wolf when suddenly a terribly bright light assaulted his vision.

“Lumos!”

Severus hissed, feeling his pupils dilate and squeezed his hurting eyes shut against the white light. He felt the wolf’s jaw unhinge from his arm, and the terrified yipping of them running away, but he remained motionless with his eyes firmly shut. 

“Severus!” He heard someone cry out and then he felt hands suddenly shake his shoulders.

Still terrified, Severus tried to smack them away but they remained firm.

“It’s me, Severus It’s Remus!”

Severus blinked open his eyes and was ashamed to find tears pouring down his face. He sniffed hard, still trembling like a leaf and allowed Remus to help him sit up.

Remus took one look at the savage bite mark on his arm and immediately paled in colour. Without hesitation, he took hold of the bottom of his shirt and began to tear long strips of fabric, disinfecting them with a quick cleaning charm. 

Meanwhile, Severus had a fist pressed to his mouth trying to stop the tears rolling down his face from both the pain and lingering fear. The memory of those horrible yellow eyes and sharp teeth reminded him all too well of the werewolf incident from his youth, and he could sense he wasn’t the only one here thinking of it.

“How. . .” Severus stammered. “How the hell are you here, Lupin?”

Remus’ mouth was pressed in a thin line as he took hold of his arm. He rummaged in his pockets before drawing out a small pocket knife and began to cut away the fabric of Severus’ thin sleeve. 

“The shrieking shack is too small. I was searching for a safe place to transform, and was going to cast some powerful wards with Albus later to keep me in.”

Severus felt sick to his stomach and had to do some hasty swallowing to avoid further issues. Remus cut off the last bit of fabric shielding the wound and Severus nearly passed out. He knew it had to be bad, but seeing the blood and the torn chunks of skin that hung off the bite in strips made him queasy. 

“Breath, Severus,” Remus instructed. “In through your nose and out through your mouth, I don’t want you fainting on me.” 

For once, Severus didn’t question him and did as he was told. He wiped the tears off the back of his face, trying his best not to start crying. He would save it for when he was alone in his apartment in the dungeons of Hogwarts.

Remus’ grip was strong and steady as he wrapped the clean strips of fabric around the wound to stop the bleeding and keep it from being exposed to any foreign bacteria until it could be looked at by Madam Pompfrey in the medical wing.

Once he was finished, Remus finally looked up at Severus’ pallid face and tried for an easy comforting smile, but it came out looking more like a grimace. “Done. Are you hurt anywhere else?” Remus asked.

Severus bit his lip. “I think my ankle is broken.”

Remus turned his attention to his leg, and gently felt the inflamed and swollen skin compared to the other ankle and winced in sympathy. “I can’t do much about that, unfortunately. I’m rubbish at healing breaks. Can you stand? I fear the Lumos charm won’t hold them off for long.”

“Yes.” Severus nodded unconvincingly and Remus helped him to his feet. Pain lashed up Severus’ leg and he had to grit his teeth to stop from hissing. 

Sucking in a deep breath, Severus tried to walk forward but his leg crumpled as soon as he put any weight on it and he fell forward. Remus caught him against his chest before he face-planted and broke his nose against the solid ground and wrapped his arms around Severus to support him. 

“I might need a little help to walk.” Severus slowly admitted, and Remus shifted his body to help prop him up some more.

After they had retrieved Severus’ belongings they began the slow and steady trek back towards the school. Severus knew the school grounds were quite far away, he had been walking for at least an hour on a good ankle when he finally found the pond, and the night was approaching swiftly.

The dire wolves might give up on the hunt in search of easier prey but there were other things in these forests that would stop at nothing to kill them. Remus knew this as well, and he kept glancing furtively around them for any other movement in the tree line. 

To save time, and to get back home before dark, Remus ended up having to carry him to the school on his back, and Severus was both mortified but incredibly thankful at the same time. The strong smell of fresh ground coffee and the sweet scent of chocolate hit Severus’ nose as Remus held him. Maybe it was because he was tired after such an ordeal, or the pain was fogging his brain or he was simply just in need of some comfort but Severus ended up resting his head on his shoulder the entire way back to Hogwarts. 

. . .

“Do you need some help?” Remus offered politely one day, looking up from his texts as he sat in Severus’ potion classroom watching the Slytherin tinker with a brew.

Severus hadn’t kicked up a fuss when Remus came into the room carrying two bowls of tomato soup and toasted bread. He hadn’t realized he had missed dinner until he had smelled the food Remus carried in, and his stomach growled with such force it left Severus feeling a little embarrassed.

They had eaten relatively quickly, exchanging small talk while going over their respective notes. Remus had not left after the meal was done, rather he pulled out some lesson plans and worked quietly while Severus began to brew. Alarmingly, Severus didn’t mind at all. 

“It’s not that I don’t think you can do it,” Remus went on, misinterpreting Severus’ silence for an offence. “I just thought maybe an extra set of hands might make things easier. I’m not that great at the potion-making part, but I did work at a restaurant a few years back and know my way around a knife. I could slice up some things for you? Or dice them?” 

“You must be terribly bored then.” Severus mused, sliding the cutting board and the taproot over to where Remus was sitting by him. “I seem to recall you hating potions class. Though I also remember you weren't half bad at brewing yourself. Is your lesson plan so dreadfully dull?”

“No,” Remus said a little too quickly. “Not at all, it’s rather informative.”

Severus narrowed his eyes at him. Remus seemed unusually pale and was much quieter than he had been at the start of this evening. 

“Well,” He gestured to the taproot. “You can start by slicing that into thin pieces if you wish.”

They worked in silence, Severus showing him what to do and Remus following his instruction with precise measurements. Finally, after a half-hour went by, Remus asked,

“I was wondering if you would like to go to the Three Broomsticks for a drink and maybe some food later?”

Severus immediately looked up from his cauldron and stared at Remus with a dumbfounded expression. 

“What?” 

Remus continued to finely slice the taproot into equal pieces the way Severus had shown him just twenty minutes before. He looked nervous, his face was redder than usual as he cleared his throat and spoke again.

“The Three Broomsticks?” Remus asked again. “For a drink.”

“. . .Oh.” Severus swallowed thickly. “I wouldn’t be entirely opposed.”

Remus’ face brightened considerably. “Great!” He said smiling. “Why don’t we meet up at around, oh I don’t know, seven? Then we can go there together.”

“Alright.” Severus put his wooden spoon down before gesturing Remus to pass him the taproot. He added it into the potion, and in a few minutes the bubbling green liquid turned to a dull orange, and Severus began to stir again. 

“What next?” Remus asked.

Severus looked back up at him. “Hm?”

“For the potion. What would you like me to do next?”

Severus blinked at him for a moment. “Creep clusters.” He finally got out. “They’re on the shelf over there, and grab the fire salts as well, Remus.” 

“Gotcha.” 

When Remus had excused himself to use the washroom a little while later, curiosity got the best of Severus. He stopped measuring the fire salts and after making sure Remus was out of sight, he grabbed his lesson plan and flipped open to the page Remus had bookmarked. 

Severus skimmed the introductory page and felt his mouth go dry and a lump formed in his throat and he dropped the book as if it had burned his fingers right down to the bone. Now Severus understood why Remus had been so upset. The next few lessons were a core topic to be covered, detailing how to find, track, and kill a werewolf. 

Later that night at the Three Broomsticks, Severus waited patiently at their private table in the corner while Remus took the liberty of ordering them both some dinner.

Severus wrung his anxious trembling hands, unsure of why he was so nervous. 

“You know I could take over your lesson plan for you. At least until that segment is finished.” Severus offered quietly when Remus came back with the food and drink. The werewolf gave him an odd look, and Severus felt himself flush slightly. “I’m not after your job, don’t worry. I just don’t think you’re the right person to teach about Lycanthropy.”

Remus arched his brow as he set the plates down and Severus turned even redder.

“Not that you’re a bad teacher on the subject.” He amended, smoothing his coat down with embarrassment. “It’s just, well I thought you’d rather not mark papers or essays on the effective ways to kill one. That would be a pretty bad night for you if you were to do that.”

“See I thought I’d be the best one to teach it,” Remus said, sitting and leaning back in his chair. “I could point out that werewolves still had humanity, teach the kids some compassion for them yet still prepare them if they ever ran into a savage one.”

Something inside Severus withered and died in pure unbridled shame. 

“I’m sorry,” He quickly apologized, trying his best to look as contrite as possible. “I probably overstepped there, I didn’t mean to suggest-”

“Severus.” Remus laid a rather large and hair hand on his pale slim one on the table and the Slytherin froze completely. Remus’ fingers curled around his own, and he felt his thumb run gently across his knuckles. “It’s okay, really. I know you had the best intentions. “I’m sorry If my response was rather harsh, please know it was not directed at you.”

Remus withdrew his hand and let out a long withering sigh. “People like me have faced so many hardships and discrimination over the years, and some of it rightly justified I’ll admit. I’m tired of everyone looking at me and seeing a monster, that’s all it is really.” 

“I don’t see you as a monster, Remus,” Severus whispered gently. “It’s quite the opposite.” 

Golden amber eyes flickered up to meet his own. They burned with such an intensity that Severus had to look away and busy himself with the food in front of him. Severus was so caught up in his rampant running emotions he didn’t notice the soft odour that came off his pasta. He twirled some noodles on his fork and scooped them into his mouth. The effect was immediate, the familiar pain started to bubble up on the inside of his mouth and he let out a choking cough and spat out the half-chewed food.

His eyes began to water instantly and his lips burned as if they were on fire. Severus waved his face in an attempt to cool himself down, coughing and choking continuously. Tears dripped down his face as he panted heavily, desperate to wave the blistering pain away. 

“Severus, are you alright?” Remus asked him with a great amount of concern, folding up his napkin before going to move to sit beside Severus and offer him a sip of water but the Slytherin held out a hand to stop him.

Shaking his head, Severus coughed out a hurried apology before he stood. The chair scraped against the floorboards with a harsh screech, and he rushed to the nearest bathroom to wash out his mouth. 

Embarrassment surged through him as he flushed out the traces of garlic. He made a complete fool of himself in front of everyone in there. No doubt they were all laughing. He had to be more careful, he couldn’t let the secret slip.

“Severus?”

He spat once more in the sink and looked up to see Remus in the reflection of the mirror standing behind him with a worried expression and felt his face flush red with embarrassment. He let out a tired sigh, and took another sip of water before swirling it around and spitting it out and wiped his lips with the back of his sleeve. 

“I am so sorry,” Severus turned off the running tap, carefully avoiding his eyes. “I. . .I didn’t realize it had garlic.”

Remus leaned against the counter, eyes looking at the mirror, then, ever so slightly shifting back to Severus before flicking back to the mirror. He blinked a few times, then shook his head as if to clear the thoughts from his mind.

“Right, garlic I remember you didn’t care for that stuff.” He seemed a little distracted but Severus didn’t know what it was. “Don’t be sorry about it, if I have one taste of goat cheese or any other product from that animal I immediately puke myself.”

He nudged Severus’ arm in a friendly manner. His amber eyes were focused on Severus’ lips and they narrowed ever so slightly. 

“Severus.” Remus breathed, eyebrows lifting in surprise. “Severus, are those burns on your mouth?”

Horror unfurled in his chest and Severus looked back at the mirror to see his mouth was indeed red and sore. He opened his mouth with a pained hiss and saw his tongue was inflamed and cracked as well. His mind raced to give an adequate explanation for this without giving away what it truly was but drew up a blank.

“I’m terribly allergic to it. Even the smallest amount makes the area of contact break out into a horrible rash and become inflamed. I must not have noticed the odour in the noodles.” Severus swallowed. 

“I never would have ordered it for you had I known it had garlic. Are you in need of medicine or something?”

Severus shook his head again. “I should be alright. It wasn’t prolonged exposure or anything like that.”

Remus nodded, though he didn’t look entirely convinced. “Okay,” He said, then nodded again, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Would you stay? I’m sure there’s food without garlic on the menu, or you can order something without it anyways.”

“Of course,” Severus huffed. “I’m perfectly alright to stay. I’ll even order us the first round of drinks for tonight.” 

Remus looked as if he liked the sound of that.

. . .

A week later, Severus found himself sitting on a wooden bench outside on Hogwarts grounds, blinking against the harsh sunlight, and slowly chewing on a bagel he had pocketed from breakfast this morning. It was Saturday, meaning classes were not in session. Normally he would either be in his office or his room marking, or out picking up some fruit or some other thing from Diagon Alley, but Severus was stuck outside, watching children make fools of themselves either on brooms or doing some other things.

There were normally professors posted in designated areas during the weekend, just to keep an eye on things as the students mucked around outside and make sure they didn’t accidentally kill themselves doing something stupid. 

Severus was rarely assigned to do this, as he was generally disliked by most of the student populace, but Professor Hooch had an unexpected emergency, and unfortunately, he had been in Dumbledore’s line of sight at the time. 

“Good morning Severus!” A cheerful greeting interrupted his morning brooding and Severus looked up to see Remus walking towards him, a few parcels clearly with the Honeydukes label on them. It appeared someone had been busy buying chocolate at not even ten in the morning. 

Internally scowling, or perhaps outwardly too, he wasn’t so sure, Severus slowly raised his hand to the werewolf, giving him a half-hearted wave.

Taking it as an invitation to sit next to him on the bench, Remus sighed contentedly, obviously enjoying the sunny morning. 

“I wasn’t expecting you to be out here, did you take up the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful day?” 

Severus stared blankly at him as if he had grown two heads. “No. I wouldn’t be out here by choice, Remus, the sunlight bothers my eyes, plus I’m rather susceptible to sunburns.” He tore a chunk off his bagel and popped it in his mouth with a disgruntled sigh.

“I see. Are you not fond of mornings?”

“I do tend to be disappointed when I wake up at all,” Severus answered truthfully. “Sometimes I’d rather slip into a permanent and undisturbed sleep.”

Remus lifted his eyebrows slightly at that. “Well, for one thing, I am glad you woke up this morning then.” 

He tore another piece of his bagel off and chewed it thoughtfully, not expecting Remus to actually answer his dark-humoured response.

“Severus, may I ask you something?” Remus suddenly said. 

The Slytherin flicked his eyes from the school grounds to Remus, holding his gaze longer than he should have, but enjoying watching Remus squirm with discomfort. 

“What?” He asked. 

Clearing his throat, Remus tugged on the collar of his shirt. “Well, I couldn’t help but notice you’re eating a bagel, which is fine, but I was just wondering—” He paused awkwardly. “Is. . .is that ketchup slathered in the middle?” He said, a faint look of disgust on his face. 

Severus’ mouth twitched in amusement. He held the werewolf’s gaze and took another large bite, grinning wickedly.

“You don’t like ketchup?” 

“Not on a bagel, Severus.” Remus dug in his pockets drawing a half-eaten chocolate bar. He broke off a piece and popped it in his mouth. “Not on a bagel.” 

Ignoring him, Severus took another bite, which Remus shuddered slightly at, and Severus grinned all the more. 

“If you ask politely I might share some with you.” Severus smiled sweetly at Remus, voice dripping with false politeness.

Remus’ pupils were suddenly blown wide, and he inhaled sharply, looking at Severus with an expression the potions master had never seen before, at least, never seen being used on him. 

Shaking his head slightly, Severus turned away, misinterpreting the werewolf’s look completely. “Relax.” He chastised, turning pink himself. “I won’t force you to eat a ketchup bagel, Lupin. Just because I have weird and eclectic taste buds doesn’t mean I won’t press them on you.” 

Remus let out a forced laugh and looked away, a steady blush staining his face, and Severus was left wondering what he said wrong.

. . .

It was late, the moon had risen considerably high in the inky black sky, and Severus walked silently down the dungeon corridors, doing his nightly rounds before he turned in for the night. He passed by snoozing portraits and the odd house-elf cleaning the floors or washing the windows but other than that, it was deadly quiet. Not a single student out of bed—at least to his knowledge. Severus could never be one hundred percent sure though, as he knew all too well what teenagers did in the cover of darkness. They either were in places they shouldn’t be or doing things they shouldn’t be, such was the life of rebellious students. 

A flash of grey fur suddenly caught his eye, and Severus paused and stood incredibly still for a few moments. His ears strained to pick up the barest hints of sound and eventually he caught the quick scrambling of tiny claws against stone floors and the occasional quiet squeak. It seems a rat was on the hunt for a morsel or two. Now that he was tuned in to the creature, he could hear its small fluttering heartbeat as it raced around the darkness presumably looking for crumbs and bits of food he students might have dropped during the day's classes.

Severus swallowed thickly, and glanced around to see if anyone was around, and was slightly disappointed to find the hallway empty, it made it that much harder to resist. He hadn’t had a taste in months. 

Gritting his teeth, Severus willed himself to keep going and resume his night rounds but his feet remained stubbornly glued to the floor. His fingers curled inwards and he balled his hands into fists. It had been such a long time since he last tasted it. . .he could do it. He would be quick, no one had to know. 

The rat suddenly darted across the floor, and Severus moved. He pinned the rodent down by its tail with his boot and it squealed in anger. Now that it was out in the open, Severus could see this was just an ordinary rat, not some pet one of the children had lost. Even if it was, Severus had a horrible suspicion that wouldn’t stop him.

Severus dragged it closer to him with his foot. The critter tried to escape, but when it found it could not it retaliated and sank its teeth into his boot, but it couldn’t pierce the strong leather. He reached down while its teeth were still clamped around the shoe, Severus quickly grabbed it and broke its spine with a quick flick of his wrist so it would stop moving. 

It died seconds after he brought it to his mouth. 

Copper burst on Severus' tongue, he sank his fangs deep into the rodent's flesh, the thin bones crunching as he tightened his jaw. He could feel the blood drip down his chin as he sucked the life out of its tiny body.

The blood stopped flowing. There had only been just a mouthful of intense pleasure before he had literally sucked all the liquid from the rodent’s veins. His jaw unclenched, and his fangs slowly began to retract as he spat the now shrivelled and gaunt rat onto the floor. It fell with a sickening thud against the stone. It dried out too soon. As it was only still a rat, it only held about a mouthful worth, and that alone would not satisfy him. Severus felt the deep aching hunger resurface inside of him along with intense feelings of shame. He was on the hunt now, and it seems nothing would stop him.

He scoured the dungeon, catching even more rats, mice and even a few bats that had made their home up in the beams of the ceiling. Mrs. Norris had nothing on him. The more the blood flowed into his mouth, the more he found he couldn’t stop. He remembered now why he began abstaining from feeding in the first place. Severus needed this as much as he needed to breathe. 

The rush of adrenaline, the sinking of his fangs into the soft and weak flesh, draining the sweet delectable blood from the body, it was an exhilarating game to him, and unfortunately, it was a game he never lost. He could feel the intense rush of vampiric power overwhelm him, abilities that had dwindled and faded away since he stopped preying on the life force of all living creatures. He had missed this, and the thought struck fear into his heart. 

Finally, when he had adequately quenched his thirst, did he allow the hot feelings of shame to wash over him. He had promised himself he would never again taste the blood of another living thing and he knew the withdrawal process would be painful as it always was. 

Severus spat the last rat in the dungeon out of his mouth.

Thoroughly disgusted with himself, he aimed his wand and vaporized the body with a quick flame spell as he did with all the other creatures. It blackened swiftly, and when he kicked it with his boot it crumbled to nothing but a pile of ash. Quickly scattering the remains across the dungeon floor, Severus turned around to finally resume his nightly rounds only to find himself face to face with none other than Remus. 

The werewolf’s eyes were wide, and his mouth agape in pure unbridled shock. Severus felt his heart stop in horror and he wondered just how much Remus had witnessed. Both of them said nothing, a tense silence stretching out between them.

“Severus,” Remus finally said after a long while, his face completely unreadable now. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, and do feel free to correct me, but was that a rat between your teeth not a half moment ago?”

Opening his mouth, Severus drew in a breath to explain himself, but he fell utterly short. How. . .how the hell was he supposed to explain a reason to Remus for what he had just witnessed? He was just about to tell Remus that he saw it wrong and it was not what it seems, when Severus caught a glimpse of himself in one of the window reflections behind the werewolf, making him freeze.

Severus had not seen his reflection in well over two years now, one of the downsides of not feeding regularly. Once the blood would leave your system you would wind up looking relatively human again, but your reflection would cease to show because you were not gazing at your true self.

But now that he had fed. . .he realized just how telling he looked. Severus’ face was paler than the moon and his eyes wide, glittering like opals in the darkness of the corridor. His mouth was unnaturally red and forced partially open by long sharp incisors that extended and overlapped his lower lip just a bit. The only good thing was that he had lost his sallow and gaunt look and sort of looked healthier and fuller. 

There was no way he would be able to talk himself out of this one. Not even an expertly trained silver tongue could weasel their way out of the situation. 

After another long moment had passed and have not thought of a valid explanation as to what Remus just witnessed, Severus’ fight or flight instincts kicked in. Remus stood well over six feet and held a rather large build, and Severus himself was a few over five and he was built like a slim willow tree. There was no chance he could push his way past him, especially not against a fully-fledged werewolf when his own abilities were just starting to reawaken. 

Severus was not ashamed that he chose to run. 

Or at least, he tried to run.

Remus must have been expecting it, because as soon as Severus spun around on his heel the werewolf’s hand had shot out and grabbed hold of his wrist pulling him back and Severus had to clench his jaw and resist the urge to bite him.

“No, This is a conversation that needs to happen. I’m sorry, Severus, but you cannot just simply walk away from this after I caught you with a literal rat in your mouth. And, um, I’m not judging you by the way if this is a recreational activity that you like to do on occasion—”

Severus bit him, just for that comment.

With an indignant yelp, Remus yanked his hand away and nursed it close to his chest. Severus seized the moment to start running away. He was practically flying down the hallway, feet barely touching the ground. He had forgotten how much faster he was with blood coursing through his system but the energy soon ran out as it had only been a relatively small amount, and Remus soon caught up to him, and Severus felt a hand clutch the back of his robes and swing him into the nearest wall.

Severus’ breath was knocked out of his lungs, and they struggled for a few moments, but the werewolf soon got the upper hand. Remus had him pinned against the stone, now smart enough to keep all of his appendages out of the reach of Severus’ mouth, his hands cupped around his neck right under his jaw to keep him from sinking his teeth into any other part of his skin, and his knee shoved between his legs to brace Severus against the wall.

Remus’ expression was hard and still unreadable. His amber eyes glowed and his lips curled down in a frown. Not being able to know what Remus was planning had Severus spiralling downwards in a pit of anxiety. 

There were centuries of bad blood between both vampires and werewolves. Remus, by nature, was expected to hunt him and kill him. That was how it went down. Severus could remember the tales of a vampire king his mother had told him when he was little and how the great moon beasts would hunt them down and pull their heads off with their teeth. 

Remus surely wasn’t going to kill him, was he?

Severus suddenly wasn’t so sure anymore and his heart rate spiked in fear.

“If you’re going to do it,” Severus swallowed thickly, cowering under Remus’ intense amber gaze and trying to hide the nervous tremor in his voice. “Then just do it already.” 

Something soft flickered in his eyes and Remus leaned closer. Severus’ breath hitched in nervous trepidation and suddenly Remus’ mouth was on his own. Severus gasped in surprise, and he grabbed the werewolf’s shoulders, unsure if he was going to push him away or draw him in. His hands slowly slid around Remus’ neck, and he honestly wasn’t sure what possessed him to kiss him back.

It was all too much for Severus, and he let out a low whimper. As soon as the sound left his mouth, Remus pressed him harder against the wall. His left hand caressing Severus’ cheek, while his right gripping him by his waist, pulling Severus against him. 

Severus could feel the heat and the rush of blood underneath Remus’ skin. How easily he could break through the layers of clothing with his fangs and reach it. He brushed his lips against the softness of Remus’ neck, testing the limits of how far Remus would let him go.

He swiped his tongue just under the werewolf’s jawline, he even went so far as gently biting at the skin, yet Remus still said nothing. His fangs ached, Severus could feel the gentle pulse of blood, he could sense the werewolf's beating heart, quickened with lust. 

Would Remus let him do this? 

Finally unable to resist the temptation, Severus sank his teeth into Remus’ neck, breaking the skin, blood welling up in the puncture wounds and dripping down to his collarbone. Severus could feel that his pupils were blown wide as the taste exploded on his tongue.

He couldn’t remember the last time he fed on a person, but he knew Remus was the best thing he had ever tasted. He tasted wild and dangerous, the blood hummed against his tongue like an electric storm, and Severus wanted so much more. 

Remus’ wince and hiss of pain drew him out of his trance, and Severus cringed and muttered a quick apology, but Remus said nothing to reprimand him. Carefully, Severus withdrew his fangs and dragged his tongue down the path of crimson blood, not letting one precious drop go to waste.

Remus’ lips ghosted over his ear. “Do you want to come back to my room?” His voice was rough with desire, and Severus could only nod wordlessly. 

Not really knowing how they made it back to his apartment, but also not caring, Severus busied himself with unbuttoning Remus’ shirt, nearly tearing it off of him as he ran his hands over the hard smooth muscles as Remus dominated his mouth. Somehow they made it to the bed, Remus pushed Severus on the mattress before crawling on top of him, they kissed again and again, bodies melding together like they were a perfect fit. 

Remus’ hands were everywhere, each touch caused Severus’ nerves to burn with white-hot electricity. Slowly, Remus began to pull his robes off, and Severus did not protest. When Remus slipped his trousers off, his eyes widened in surprise as he took in Severus’ long pale legs. Humming in approval, Remus slowly ran his fingers across his thigh, feeling the soft skin. 

“You’re very beautiful you know,” Remus murmured.

Before Severus could protest, he felt Remus’ mouth on his own, and all the thoughts he had were suddenly chased away. Remus kissed Severus gently, tenderly, softly, but that wasn’t what Severus wanted. Severus knotted his fist in his shirt and yanked Remus closer, pulling him harder against his aching body. Remus growled in the back of his throat, his arms circling around Severus, gathering him against himself and they rolled over on the bed, still kissing passionately.

Pressing Severus down into the mattress, Remus hooked his fingers in the band of his underwear, his last shield of protection and modesty, slowly slipping the dainty little things down his legs. 

Only when Severus lay naked before the werewolf, like a feast to be devoured, did the nervousness creep back into his veins. Shivering slightly with anticipation, Severus allowed Remus to take hold of his legs and slowly push them apart.

Remus’ intense burning gaze flickered to his, and they softened ever so slightly.

“You okay? We don’t have to do anything if you're not ready, Severus, virginity is not something lost lightly.”

Severus felt heat sear his cheeks and resisted the urge to press his knees together. Was it so obvious this was his first time? Though anxious, as any first-timer would be, he had never been as sure as anything else in his entire life. 

“I want this. I want you—” Severus swallowed, suddenly embarrassed to say it. “I want you inside of me.” He stammered nervously.

Remus didn’t need to be told twice. He unbuckled his pants and threw them along with his boxers across the room. They landed somewhere on the floor, but Severus’ attention was not on his clothes anymore. 

Sliding down between Severus’ legs, Remus began to do things with his fingers and his mouth that almost made him black out, his head thudding against the backboard of the bed a few times as heat pulsed through his nerves from the point where his tongue was driving Severus mad. The feeling of Remus’ beard brush against his inner thighs was its own provocation, and Severus bit his lip so hard his fangs sank right through it like softened butter and blood gushed down his chin.

Mewling in absolute pleasure, Severus twisted side to side, hands gathering the silk sheets underneath him, balling them into his fists as intense waves of heat pulsed in his core. His entire body grew pink, and he felt his nipples grow suddenly grow hard.

Remus could not resist them, and he drew back up from between his legs and bit at them playfully with his teeth, licking at the sensitive buds with his tongue and sending shivers of pleasure Severus had not felt before up his spine.

“Remus!” Severus cried, arching against his thick and toned body as Remus moved to his other one, all the while working two fingers inside of him, a little uncomfortable but nothing Severus couldn’t handle. Not as long as Remus kept his mouth on Severus, lavishing his attention on his chest. 

Suddenly, Remus’ fingers brushed against a sweet spot, and Severus’ eyes rolled in the back of his head, and he let out a throaty moan. Humming in approval, Remus continued to circle his fingers around that spot, and Severus squealed, thighs shaking, gasping and moaning like a wanton hoar. 

The strength of what was building in Severus was staggering. Mind blowing. He felt as though his body was about to be blown to dust when it finally hit. If Remus stopped, he might cry and beg—possibly even kill. Before the climax could come, Remus withdrew his fingers and chucked at Severus’ look of utter anger. 

Remus lined up his member, Severus felt the head brush against his opening and he held his breath. When he finally pressed slowly into him, Severus exhaled in a thin cry, feeling like he was being split open. After waiting a few moments for Severus to adjust, Remus began to slowly pump into him, building up speed and pace every few thrusts. Soon, Severus was letting out loud moans as Remus’ member hit the golden spot every single time he thrust deep inside of him. 

Severus suddenly felt unsure of himself. Remus was doing all the work, Severus hadn’t even done any foreplay to the werewolf before they got straight to fucking. Embarrassed, he hid his face in Remus’ neck. Severus was all awkwardness and hesitation and here Remus was expertly thrusting into him as if he had done this a hundred times. Remus knew exactly what he was doing and Severus suddenly felt quite inexperienced and overwhelmed, and not entirely sure what to do or how to act. 

Remus slowed, sensing the mood had changed and stopped moving altogether, and ran his fingers through Severus’ long raven locks, tenderly, before kissing the top of his head.

“You alright? I’m not hurting you am I?” He asked, voice full of quiet concern.

“I. . .I’m not sure how to do this. I’ve never. . .are you enjoying yourself because I feel like I’m hardly doing anything to give you pleasure—” 

“Look at me.” Severus looked up into Remus’ face, the werewolf was smiling slightly. He leaned down and kissed Severus gently on the lips. “I am enjoying myself immensely. You’re incredible Severus, I’ve never felt anyone simply as addicting as you.” He murmured in Severus’ ear. 

Remus began to pump back in and out, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. “You’re mine, Severus. Tonight you’re all mine.” He moaned hotly against Severus’ lips, the length and level of his arousal were brutal. “Mine.” He swore, releasing Severus’ mouth, pushing him forward as pounded deep within Severus’ depths. He didn’t slow the movement giving Severus full, hard thrusts. 

The heat was almost unbearable and the familiar sense of something building from deep inside of him returned. Severus knew Remus was feeling it too, as his movements were growing short and desperate. 

Finally, Severus felt himself literally explode, and his vision grow white as an intense pleasure shook him down to his innermost private self. He screamed, feeling something warm gush inside of him sporadically and he heard Remus howl before they both collapsed in a tangle of sweaty limbs and stickiness, flushed, out of breath and panting hard. 

Blindly reaching out, Severus fumbled for his coat pocket flung across the bedside table going to grab a pack of cigarettes, before hesitating, feeling slightly cheap to smoke right after sex like a cheesy romantic noir film. 

“Those cigarettes?” Remus panted, out of breath. 

A little embarrassed, Severus nodded. “Would you like one?” 

“Hell yeah, I would.”

. . .

“So you’re a vampire then,” Remus stated, holding Severus' arm in his own as they walked around the pond on the school grounds. They hadn’t had time for a proper discussion about what had happened the night before as the both of them woke up late and had to rush to teach their respective classes. The sky was bursting with pink and indigo and a sliver of orange where the sun had slowly set below the horizon line. The stars were starting to show in the atmosphere, and the cool breeze was a nice change from the increasingly hot spring days.

It had often been said that twilight was the safest time of day for vampires to roam with the rest of humanity.

“Half,” Severus retorted, distracted by the blinking fireflies in the reeds by the pond's edge. “If you want to be technical, I’m a half-vampire.” 

“I thought your father was a muggle?” Remus asked, voice lifting in surprise. 

“He was,” Severus nodded, dragging his eyes from the insects back to Remus’ amber eyes. “At least he was up until a few thousand years ago.” 

Remus let out a low whistle. “That’s quite old. Is he. . .you know. . .passed on?”

Severus’ brow furrowed. “Yes. He didn’t necessarily die, though. He had lived for so many years he simply faded away into the afterlife. He sensed his time was nearing, so he took my mother as a bride and made sure his line continued with me.” 

“What a poetic way to say it.” That was all Remus could think of to say. “You know,” He cleared his throat. “I did entertain the idea you were a vampire after the whole fiasco at the Three Broomsticks.” 

“Did you?”

Remus nodded wordlessly. 

“Well,” Severus smiled slowly. “I would hope so, as you are teaching defence against the dark arts this year. Yet even though you suspected, you didn’t say anything, why is that?”

Remus lightly laughed and shook his head. “ At the Three Broomsticks. At first, I thought you were choking so I ran after you in the bathroom to see if you needed help. I looked in the mirror, Severus you did not have a reflection. Then the telltale burns on your lips after eating garlic. The reason I didn’t say anything was because I did not want to stretch our tentative friendship to the point of breaking with a claim like that. There was still a slim chance I was wrong, and if I had asked you if you were a vampire, no doubt you would have taken it as an insult.”

Humming in agreement, Severus nodded his head. “You’re right. I would have, even though you were correct.” 

Remus squeezed his hand lightly before looking up at the sky. “You know I could get used to nights like these.”

Severus craned his head upwards, the reflection of the stars in his nebulous eyes. “I could too.” He said after a long moment before his gaze shifted back towards Remus and a fond smile twitched on his lips. Yes, he supposed he could get used to it very well. 

**Author's Note:**

> Little Vampire AU never hurt anyone. Might fuck around and add another chapter, might not. As of right now it's a simple one-shot fic. 
> 
> Enjoy :)


End file.
